Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-25

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You would like to reduce your working hours in order to study part time.

Write a letter to your boss. In your letter

• explain why you want to reduce your working hours
• say which hours you would like to work
• describe how your part-time studies would benefit your employer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear managers,

My name is Sukhpreet, a regular full-time employee in your daycare. I am writing this letter to give you heads up regarding my availability starting next month.

It's been more than one year, I am working with your company as an Early childhood educator assistant. However, recently I planned to be an educator and for that I have to get enrolled for one year course. Moreover, there would be all of assignments and classes that I have to be responsible for.

Additionally, I already received the schedule from my college. According to my routine, I can work tuesday and friday at any time, as those are my dayoffs. Nevertheless, I am confident that this course will help me to improve my knowledge regarding children behaviour, precautions and special needs that will ultimately let me contribute more towards children's growth.

Yours sincerely,

Sukhpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the specific hours desired, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation of the course and the benefits to the employer are somewhat brief. To improve, you should expand on how your studies will specifically enhance your performance in the daycare setting. For example, you could mention specific skills or certifications you expect to gain. Because the response is under-length, it does not fully satisfy the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'Additionally' to link your ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'It's been more than one year, I am working'. The transition between the reason for the request and the proposed schedule could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, but the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical at times.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'availability', 'enrolled', and 'precautions'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'give you heads up' is informal and slightly imprecise in this context; 'inform you' or 'notify you' would be more professional. The phrase 'all of assignments' is grammatically awkward. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise professional terminology related to your field and ensure that your word choices are consistently appropriate for a formal letter to a manager.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'It's been more than one year, I am working' should be 'I have been working for more than a year'. There are also issues with articles and prepositions, such as 'get enrolled for one year course' (should be 'a one-year course') and 'tuesday and friday' (should be capitalized). While these errors rarely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and proper article usage to improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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